Worthing, Brooklands Park, Adur Estuary, Shoreham Harbour and Burpham

I started the New Year with a half-hour watch from the garden. A Buzzard flying east just a few minutes after sunrise was most unexpected and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared in a neighbouring garden.

 

After dithering for a while about where to go birding, I opted for Brooklands Park, which turned out to be a pretty good decision. A male Kingfisher was offering superb views along the stream and was proving popular with birders and members of the general public. A Cetti's Warbler called there, too. Crucially, the drake Pochard remained on the lake, along with eight Teal and two Little Grebes. Two pairs of Mute Swans were on the lake, along with a lone adult male and three of last year's young, so there's bound to be some conflict over the next few weeks. A female Stonechat was feeding near the boardwalk. Looking offshore was where it got interesting. It was hardly bustling with birds but after the sea being so dead for so long, it was refreshing to actually see some birds out there. A feeding Great Northern Diver made my day, while four Shovelers, 11 Wigeon, 13 Red-throated Divers, 30 Gannets and 10 Red-breasted Mergansers were also seen. 20 Dunlin flew along the beach.

   

The flowing tide at the Adur Estuary RSPB reserve produced the wintering Greenshank and Curlew, along with a good many Snipe, Redshank and Lapwing. 20 Oystercatchers, a Reed Bunting and a Grey Heron were also present. Nipping around to the Shoreham Sailing Club was rewarded with close views of the wintering Black Redstart, while round on the wooden jetty by the fort were two Purple Sandpipers, with four Turnstones on the harbour arms.

   

A late plod around Burpham and The Burgh then produced the 10 adult Bewick's Swans, two astronomically distant Cattle Egrets, a Marsh Harrier, a Barn Owl, a Tawny Owl, three Red Kites, a few Buzzards, 10 Grey Partridges, three Red-legged Partridges, a Raven and a Fieldfare.

 

The Burgh and West Worthing

A circuit around The Burgh featured two singing Corn Buntings, 20 Skylarks, five Lapwings, a singing Cuckoo, three Red Kites, six Buzzards, two Grey Partridges, a Swift, eight Swallows, four Kestrels, my first juvenile Whitethroats of the year, a couple of broods of Pheasant and my first Marbled White of the year.

At home, a Coal Tit was calling near the garden.

The Burgh and West Worthing

A misty and quickly aborted visit yielded four Grey Partridges, a male Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite, a Kestrel, two Buzzards, six Skylarks, two Meadow Pipits, two Fieldfares, a Redwing, a singing Mistle Thrush, 14 Pied Wagtails, a Yellowhammer and seven Reed Buntings.

Grey Partridges

As I pulled into my road in West Worthing, two Mute Swans flew over, making me curse that I hadn't quite timed my arrival at the door perfectly in order to add them to the house list!

Burpham/The Burgh and Cuckmere Haven

It was a case of revisiting old friends this morning, with the 10 Bewick's Swans again west of Burpham church, and the Siberian Chiffchaff showing nicely with 10 Chiffchaffs at the sewage works. I walked a little bit of The Burgh too, and in my meanderings logged a Cetti's Warbler, a male Stonechat, two Marsh Harriers (including an adult male), 16 Fieldfares, three Redwings, three Yellowhammers, six Reed Buntings, 23 Linnets 20 Skylarks, three Grey Partridges, 65 Lapwings, two Greylag Geese, six Mute Swans, etc.

Bewick's Swans and Mute Swans

Siberian Chiffchaff (left) and Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff

Cuckmere Haven was too misty and a bit of a waste of time, though 300 Wigeon, six Redshanks, a Sparrowhawk and a Redwing were logged through the murk.

Goring Gap, Ham/Medmerry RSPB and The Burgh

Phil came down for the day and we arranged to meet at Goring Gap but with a NNW wind and a very low early morning tide, I thought after a swift scan we'd be cutting our losses and moving elsewhere. Pleasingly, though, the sea was rather busy, with a Slavonian Grebe and a Great Northern Diver the clear highlights, along with three Common Scoters, three Mute Swans, 128 Great Crested Grebes, 58 Red-breasted Mergansers, 42 Gannets, three Red-throated Divers, six Razorbills and 52 auks. Seven Mediterranean Gulls patrolled the beach, where Sanderlings, Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers and Turnstones were feeding as usual. A Goldcrest called at the seaward end of The Plantation.

Along the road at Ham, we picked up a Corn Bunting, 250 Stock Doves, six Yellowhammers and six Meadow Pipits. Once at the Ham Viewpoint at Medmerry, we scanned relentlessly for the Hooded Crow for about an hour but to no avail. 70 Common Scoters, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, three Dark-bellied Brent Geese and seven Red-throated Divers were visible offshore. Two Peregrines were stationed on fence posts, a young female and an adult male, while at least two Marsh Harriers quartered, spooking Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall and Shelduck. A male Stonechat, a few Skylarks and a couple of Reed Buntings were active below us. Waders included two Bar-tailed Godwits, 200 Dunlin, five Curlews, 35 Lapwings and nine Grey Plovers.

The Burgh was yet again a natural finish to the day, not many Red Kites and Buzzards were noted but a Merlin showed well as dusk approached, followed by a good performance from two ringtail Hen Harriers. Ravens and Grey Partridges formed the backdrop yet again, and other stuff noted included two Fieldfares, a Redwing and a couple each of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.

Ashdown Forest and The Burgh

This morning I parked up at the Gills Lap car park in the Ashdown Forest and set out to find the wintering 'butcherbird' which I'd had wonderful views of with Dick Filby back in November. As before, I pointed the scope in the direction of the bird's favoured area and scanned repeatedly till, after about 45 minutes, I picked up the Great Grey Shrike over half a mile away. Bingo! Happily, an interested dog-walker and a birder passed while I had it in view and managed a look through my scope. Walking round to nearer where the bird was hunting failed to produce any further views. A couple of Dartford Warblers and Bullfinches, 16 Crossbills, a Lesser Redpoll, nine Reed Buntings, two Stonechats and a Fieldfare were among the other birds logged. A quick look around the corner at Old Lodge produced another Lesser Redpoll, a Siskin and seven more Crossbills but little else.

Great Grey Shrike at Wren's Warren

Crossbill near Gill's Lap car park

I got to The Burgh for late afternoon, where for the first time I ventured beyond 'The Triangle' and actually walked around the site, all the way to the dew pond, where I enjoyed upgraded views of a juvenile Hen Harrier and a Short-eared Owl. 150 Lapwings were joined by a Golden Plover in the bare fields, a Yellowhammer and three Reed Buntings called and other stuff included four of both Red Kite and Buzzard, two Kestrels and six Meadow Pipits. As dusk fell, the cacophony of Grey Partridges and Ravens made for a most evocative soundscape.

Arundel, Selsey Bill, Pagham Harbour, Dell Quay, Climping and The Burgh

Today was a casual-mega day out with Nick and Garry. The natural starting point was The Black Rabbit at Arundel, where we arrived before first light to the sound of two Tawny Owls behind the car park. In the gloam we clocked the 10 Bewick's Swans leaving the reserve to spent the day feeding in nearby pastures, as well as two Barn Owls, three Mandarins, a Woodcock and four Marsh Harriers. A Firecrest showed nicely, two Egyptian Geese and three Little Egrets flew over. We also heard Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler, Mistle Thrush, Snipe, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting.

Moving round the corner to Swanbourne Lake, a donder around added three Pochards, additional Firecrest and Mistle Thrush, a couple of Treecreepers and singles of Coal Tit, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Next up was Selsey Bill, where the sea delivered two Great Northern Divers, an Eider, five Red-throated Divers, good numbers of Razorbills, a Guillemot and a few Red-breasted Mergansers. A Grey Wagtail flew over and a Mediterranean Gull was along the beach.

Church Norton rewarded with the wholly unexpected, but much appreciated, sight of a Black-throated Diver within the harbour. It was feeding actively well within the mouth but after one particular dive we lost sight of it entirely. A nice selection of common waders included Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plovers, Turnstones and Ringed Plovers, while seven Mediterranean Gulls formed a small group. Three Red-breasted Mergansers and three Goldeneyes were within the harbour and it was nice to see a tight flock of eight Little Grebes and a few Pintail distantly. On the sea we enjoyed 18 Slavonian Grebes and a distant pair of Velvet Scoters, as well as Red-throated Diver. A flying visit to nearby Marsh Farm added Cattle Egret - with at least 12 of the flock showing at close range but we couldn't stay long.

Black-throated Diver in Pagham Harbour at Church Norton

Slavonian Grebe off Church Norton

Cattle Egrets at Marsh Farm, Sidlesham

We flew by Drayon Pit, part of the Chichester Gravel Pits complex, adding the Great White Egret which Garry had seen there on New Year's Eve. This wonderfully undisturbed pit was full of wildfowl and looked ripe for a scarce duck or heron turning up. Worthy of regular checking... We then backtracked slightly, changing plan from a visit to Westdean Woods to instead stopping at Dell Quay. Highlights there included two Spotted Redshanks, a Greenshank, six Goldeneyes and a few Red-breasted Mergansers, nine Little Grebes and good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Grey Plovers, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal. etc.

Another short stop was made at Climping, where we hoped to bag the Red-necked Grebe reported earlier in the day. Despite the three of us scanning intently for 20 minutes, just after other observers had left, besides Great Crested Grebes we could 'only' find a Slavonian Grebe. Sanderling, however, was an addition to the day list, and several Red-breasted Mergansers were offshore.

We rounded the day off by spending the last couple of hours of light at The Burgh. Eventually we got eyes on two ringtail Hen Harriers and a Short-eared Owl quartering. Two Grey Partridges and a few Red-legged Partridges were logged, while one field held a mix of Fieldfares and Skylarks. A couple of respectable flocks of Linnets were bombing around, and two Marsh Harriers (including an adult male) and a small handful of Red Kites and Buzzards were logged.

Goring Gap and Burpham/The Burgh

I spent just over an hour at the Gap first thing, producing six Red-throated Divers, an adult Mediterranean Gull, the wintering female Stonechat and 13 Grey Plovers.

Being such a lovely day I thought I'd spice things up by heading to Burpham, where I easily found the herd of six Bewick's Swans (three adults and three juveniles). It's hit me just how infrequently I see this graceful visitor from the tundra, and how sad it is that the Arun Valley herd is now so diminished. Water Rail and a few Teal were vocal in the valley, where there was a pair Stonechats. Hearing a Chiffchaff calling below the road reminded me of the waste treatment works which I'd driven past previously but never checked out. I ended up spending several hours studying the 10 or so Chiffchaffs present around the filter bed, including a fine 'Siberian Chiffchaff' (form tristis, though looking quite like a 'fulvescens' type). A Corn Bunting flew over, while a Sparrowhawk hunted and small numbers of Kestrels, Buzzards and Red Kites patrolled the downs. A Raven, a couple of 30-strong Linnet flocks and small numbers of Redwings, Goldcrests, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks were logged.

'fulvescens'-type 'Siberian Chiffchaff'

Goring Gap, Pagham Harbour and The Burgh

A quiet seawatch at the Gap featured a Shelduck, a Great Crested Grebe, six Gannets, 14 Common Gulls and five Red-breasted Mergansers. The usual waders present included 60 Dunlin and 17 Grey Plovers but a bonus Golden Plover was in the roost field. A Grey Heron flew east and four adult Mediterranean Gulls and a Meadow Pipit were also noted.

A visit to Pagham Harbour with Adrian provided a nice change of scenery. We didn't walk much at all - just parked up at Church Norton and scanned from the benches. Two Firecrests and a Chiffchaff were along the path. A Whimbrel was present and one of the Bar-tailed Godwits was in full summer plumage. A flock of 150 Knot was otherwise the wader highlight, along with good numbers of Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers, etc. A swirling mass of perhaps 600 Lapwings was at the back. Wildfowl included a Goldeneye, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Teal, plus a few Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Wigeon. Several Mediterranean Gulls were around, along with a couple of Meadow Pipits and seven Skylarks.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Moving on to The Burgh, we almost turned straight back home due to the mizzly conditions but we were glad that we scanned for a few minutes as we were rewarded with a nice flyby Merlin, as well as couple of Red Kites and flocks of 30 Skylarks and 60 Linnets.

Goring Gap and The Burgh

A brief visit with special guests Paul G and Jazz mid-/late morning produced three Red-throated Divers, two Great Crested Grebes, three Dark-bellied Brent Geese, a Kittiwake, 26 Gannets, 16 Common Gulls, 30 Razorbills/Guillemots (mostly the former), three Mediterranean Gulls, 17 Skylarks, a Little Egret, two Grey Plovers, 20 Oystercatchers and uncounted Dunlin, Turnstone and Ringed Plover.

With seabird movement dying down but the breeze still offputting we decided to check out The Burgh for a couple of hours, where highlights included a fleeting flight view of a group of around 10 Grey Partidges, as well as six Red Kites, 10 Buzzards, four Kestrels, a Reed Bunting, 30 Linnets, three Meadow Pipits and 25 Stock Doves.

Adur Estuary and The Burgh

I've driven past the Adur Estuary probably hundreds of times now but it was only early this afternoon that I paid it a visit, my curiosity piqued by recent reports. I soon located the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper which had been found by locals in recent days - my first in Britain this year! - and a nice supporting cast of waders included two Greenshanks, a Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, 19 Ringed Plovers and 12 Dunlin. A Rock Pipit flew over.

juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on the Adur Estuary

I then headed to The Burgh but it was hella windy, as it always seems to be when I go there, and I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to stay for very long, though my short visit did produce a Hobby, two Ravens, a Sparrowhawk, several Kestrels and a couple of Red Kites, plus a few House Martins and Swallows moving through.

Old Lodge, Gills Lap, Splash Point, Swanbourne Lake, The Burgh and Church Norton

Bob from the States was back and it was a full on day of birding! First up was Old Lodge, with highlights of two Ravens, five Siskins, six Lesser Redpolls and a Bullfinch. A walk around the Old Airstrip produced an early Tree Pipit, two Stonechats and a flock of 20 Siskins. We then drove to Splash Point and marvelled at the hundreds of Kittiwakes, a couple of Fulmars and enjoyed fabulous views of a hunting adult male Peregrine, as well as a Raven on the clifftop. Swanbourne Lake was our next stop, offering up a singing Marsh Tit but little else so we pressed on to The Burgh. Here we instantly connected with four Grey Partridges and a Red Kite. Mid-afternoon we spent an hour or so at Church Norton, rewarded with highlights including a Whimbrel, a Goosander, a Dark-bellied Brent Goose, two Bar-tailed Godwits and small numbers of Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls. Checking in to Ferry Pool on the way out, two Green Sandpipers and seven Wigeon formed last minute additions to the day list.

Whimbrel at Church Norton

Green Sandpipers at Ferry Pool

Goring, Lavington Common, Ambersham Common/Heyshot Heath, Westdean Woods and The Burgh

The first few hours of the morning were spent at Goring Gap and produced the regular 2CY Iceland Gull, two Wheatears, three Linnets, five Skylarks, two Meadow Pipits, four Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, two eastbound Jackdaws, 170 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, three Common Scoters, a Fulmar, three Gannets, seven Great Crested Grebes, a Sparrowhawk, a Moorhen, six Oystercatchers, nine Turnstones, 13 Sandwich Terns, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls.

Nick B turned up and we headed off on a whistlestop tour of a few West Sussex sites, although the weather was that yucky cold and breezy stuff with a bit of rain that seems to quash any birding results. First was Lavington Common/Plantation but we noted little other than Nuthatch and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Ambersham Common came good with a male Dartford Warbler accompanying a pair of Stonechats. We checked out adjacent Heyshot Heath but found little other than a Kestrel, although Nick heard a crossbill briefly.

Westdean Woods was a good one to 'put a face to'. Here we found a singing Marsh Tit upon parking up and had three distant Ravens, along with at least four Buzzards. Three Red-legged Partridges were seen, along with a Red Kite, a Meadow Pipit and a Nuthatch. The Burgh was another site that I've long heard about but not got around to visiting, until now... it was great to see a Grey Partridge and hear another, while other birds logged included a Lapwing, three Skylarks, a Meadow Pipit, three Red Kites and a singing Red-legged Partridge.